EDITORIAL: Immigration compromise needs GOP support

By Enterprise editorial staff

Published 1:00 am, Monday, May 13, 2013

For Republican senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz now, and later House members Randy Weber and Steve Stockman, the immigration bill wending its way through Congress represents a challenge: Do they vote for something if it meets most of their goals, or do they reject it because it isn't perfect?

We hope the answer is a vote in favor of the bill, both for the sake of their constituents in Texas and the Republican Party. If the final version is solid, it deserves their support even if they might have some quibbles about it.

The bill passed a key hurdle last week in the Senate Judiciary Committee and should be headed to the Senate floor in June. It's a product of the oddly named Gang of Eight - four Republican senators and four Democratic ones who are trying to resolve one of the knottiest issues in American politics.

Our country needs a bill that grants some kind of legal status to 11 million illegal immigrants and a path to citizenship. Democrats have felt this way for a long time. After last November's election, many Republicans finally do too.

If Republican lawmakers kill immigration reform this year, their party will regret it. More and more voters, especially Hispanic ones, will see them as out of touch with their needs and aspirations.

Republicans want better border security and a path to citizenship that isn't easier than the requirements for legal immigrants. Both of those goals are reasonable, and Democrats shouldn't try to block them.

The time to hammer out a fair compromise on these issues is now. Republicans should step up and make sure they do their part.